Google now adds a Click-to-Call feature to the advertisements it shows on mobile devices. Calling the business is now easier thanks to a feature that allows advertisers to add a clickable local phone number to their mobile ads. If you’re using an iPhone, Android, or other smartphone, you just click the number to call the business.

If an advertisement does not strike your fancy, you can always use GOOG-411 and that is of course free search. Dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (from any phone) and state the location and business type. Expect to see many more mobile applications like these from Google as it applies the Mobile First principle.

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Google Mobile Click-to-Call

Every entrepreneur and SoHo (Small office home office) owner should read the free e-book Marketing Right Now.

You must now do business on the Internet, but there are important steps to take before you go online. You must have a clear strategy. Choose a marketing niche where your products or services can be superior in meeting your prospects’ needs versus the competition. Two other important factors are accepting that Time is Job One and having an effective blog to dialogue with your prospects and clients. It is an easy read (55 pages) but does include all you need.

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Marketing Right Now Free Download

A Statistics Canada Report shows that Canadians have a longer life expectancy now and that seniors constitute a larger and larger share of the population.

Although this puts pressure on the federal budget, given increased costs for health systems, it does create new business opportunities. Seniors are active and wish to maintain their independence thus requiring appropriate safe and secure accommodation. Their sports and volunteering activities also create extra demand for products and services. There is an associated increase in death rates which brings greater demands in the casket industry. That even attracted Wal-Mart into the online casket market.

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More Seniors Mean More Business

Today the Vancouver 2010 Olympics starts and there are lots of associated fun-filled activities. One important symbol of our Canadian heritage will be on show. The RCMP Musical Ride will take part in the Surrey 2010 Celebrations from Saturday, Feb 13th to Feb 28th.

A commemorative poster of the 2009 BC Tour of the RCMP Musical Ride is on sale at the Surrey event in the RCMP store. The poster is 14″ x 18″ and Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association (VTEA) will receive all funds generated . VTEA provides therapeutic riding for special needs children. Some copies autographed by members of the Musical Ride are on sale for $25. What a great souvenir.

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RCMP Musical Ride in Vancouver Olympics celebrations

As reported by one of the key charities, VTEA, supported by the Langley Good Times Cruise-In, this extremely successful Langley community activity will be taking a hiatus at least for 2010. Its outstanding fund-raising activities have raised over one million dollars over the years for several key charities in Langley, British Columbia, including VTEA, which provides therapeutic riding for special needs children.

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Langley Good Times Cruise-In Hiatus 2010/01/14

Google promotes its local business listings in storefronts around the U.S. with QR codes.

Stickers bearing Google’s logo and a QR code have been distributed to 100,000 of the most popular businesses in Google’s Local Business Center database. Starting this week consumers will be able to use code-scanning applications on modern phones to look up the Google listing for that particular restaurant, store, or dry cleaner. The stickers will be prominently displayed in store windows of participating businesses, and represent a shot across the bow of companies like Yelp which offer similar branded services.

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Google Bar Codes At Popular Stores 2009/12/07

As Lisa Barone describes, there are four important levers for success in local search.

On page optimization and link building play the same role as they do in regular universal web search. The other two are critical to success in local search.

Citations are important in providing precision on the actual location of the local business. It is important to ensure consistency among all the different citations.

The fourth factor is reviews and these are of growing importance in SEO. Whether they are negative or positive they help the business stand out from the pack. Ask for reviews from anyone who has a stake in your future success.

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Reviews Help Local Search 2009/11/19

Chris Silver Smith points out that a Google Custom Map can be a goldmine for local businesses. For companies and individuals who have some rich local data to share, or local place expertise, creating your own custom map in My Maps may be very worthwhile. People frequently search for local places via maps so adding keywords in map names, map descriptions and choosing suitable map names may bring appreciable traffic. Companies which develop value-added information maps about local areas reap the benefit of having more content within Google Maps and this can convert to more traffic to their websites.

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A Google Local Map helps you stand out 2009/11/06

Mike Blumenthal reports that Google Maps has updated Business Listing Guidelines.

Business Listings in the Local Business Center must have correct information about physical, local businesses, as they appear in the real world. Google may suspend access to the Local Business Center or to other Google Services to individuals or businesses violating these guidelines.

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Google Maps Has New Business Guidelines 2009/11/04

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has a new research facility on the Langley campus. Its goal is to find pest control options and natural solutions to agricultural problems so B.C. can have a more sustainable agricutural sector. It has an insect nursery that will soon be home to a variety of creepy, crawly things. The labs and research are supported by the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund and by the Leading Edge Endowment Fund. Dr. Deborah Henderson is the LEEF chair in sustainable horticulture and director of the Institute.

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Langley Searches For Greener Ways 2009/10/20